Detroit style pizza is more than just a regional dish- it’s a delicious emblem of Motor City ingenuity, resilience, and taste. It’s a marvel, built with caramelized cheese edges, both pillowy and crispy crust, and a characteristic square shape.
Detroit style pizza lives in a universe all its own in the American pizza landscape. Here is how a lowly bar snack became a national phenomenon, why the way it is constructed matters, and where to find the best slices in the USA.
The Accidental Invention: From Auto Parts to Pizza Pans
The story of the development of Detroit style pizza is a tale of innovation due to a local industry and a need. In 1946, Gus Guerra, owner of Buddy’s Rendezvous, a former speakeasy on Detroit’s east side, wanted to throw something new on the bar menu.
With Sicilian heritage and mother-in-law’s advice, Guerra decided to make a thick, square pizza inspired by Sicilian sfincione, which required a pan.
This brings us to the automotive industry in Detroit. Guerra obtained blue steel pans from a local automotive supply company that originally produced pans as drip trays or to hold small parts being worked on in factories.
These pans were, deep, thick, and able to withstand heat, making them great for pizza. The end result was a focaccia-style crust with crisp, caramelized bottom and sides because of the pan’s ability to hold heat and the melted cheese seeping down to the edge of the pan.
Anatomy of a Detroit Style Pizza: What Makes It Unique?
Shape and Structure
- Always rectangular or square, never round.
- Traditionally cut into squares, not wedges.
The Crust
- High hydration dough gives a light, airy, bouncy interior with a firm chewy exterior.
- The bottom has a crisp, almost fried texture with the use of the oiled steel pan.
- The cheese is pushed all the way to the edge of the pan, creating a caramelized, crunchy edge.
Cheese and Toppings
- Traditional Detroit style pizza uses Wisconsin brick cheese, as it is well-known for its melt and flavor profile.
- Cheese is right on top of the dough, followed by toppings (usually pepperoni), then sauce on top, earning its phrase “red top”.
The Sauce Stripes.
- Instead of a full layer, after baking, the sauce is ladled across the top in stripes.
- This allows the pizza crust to remain crispy with an iconic presentation.
Detroit vs. Chicago
Detroit style pizza is often mistaken for Chicago deep dish, but the differences are profound. Here’s a clear comparison:
| Feature | Detroit-Style Pizza | Chicago Deep Dish Pizza |
| Shape | Rectangular/square | Round |
| Crust | Thick, airy, focaccia-like, crispy bottom | Deep, dense, buttery |
| Cheese | Wisconsin brick cheese, edge-to-edge | Mozzarella/provolone, layered inside |
| Sauce Placement | On top, in stripes | On top, spread thick |
| Pan | Shallow blue steel (auto origins) | Deep, round pan |
| Eating Experience | Cut into squares, crispy cheesy edges | Cut into wedges, loaded with toppings |
| Texture | Light, chewy, crispy, caramelized cheese edge | Dense, rich, often eaten with fork & knife |
Detroit’s dough has a larger hydration level, leading to a lighter, airier bite-closer to focaccia-while Chicago’s dough is denser to carry heavy toppings and sauce.
The Flavor of Resilience – Why Detroit Style Pizza Endures
Detroit style pizza reflects its place in the world: frugal, unfancy, and made to last. For many years, it was an insider’s secret, highly guarded by Detroiters. In the past several years, it has entered into the national consciousness, with pizzerias from New York to Los Angeles serving up their iterations of this pizza.
What makes it so special is not just the flavor confusingly between a fast-food pizza to an artisanal pizza, but the story of adaptation and pride. The use of auto industry pans, the family histories, not bending for anybody, and commitment to tradition make it intriguing.
Also read:
What is Brooklyn Style Pizza?
Is Marco’s Pizza Good?
Where to Eat Detroit Style Pizza: The Best Places in the USA
In Detroit (and Michigan):
Buddy’s Pizza (Detroit and suburbs): The original, and still the gold standard.
Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant: A classic recipe, family-owned, a crust with a legend.
Loui’s Pizza (Hazel Park): Old school charm, thick cheese, a following that has become cult-like.
Shield’s Pizza: One of the city’s historic restaurants with very deep roots.
Across the USA:
Emmy Squared: A modern take on Detroit-style, but known for creative toppings and crispy crusts.
Blue Pan Pizza (Denver, CO): Award-winning hands down, authentic Detroit-style pies, and uses imported Wisconsin brick cheese.
Via 313 (Austin, TX): Run by some Detroit natives slanging Motor City slices in Texas.
Lions & Tigers & Squares (New York, NY): A love letter to Detroit, classic square pies, and Detroit motifs.
How to Make Your Own Detroit Style Pizza at Home
- The Pan: In its truest form, Detroit-style requires a blue steel pan, but you can use a well-oiled cast iron or heavy aluminum pan if you have to.
- The Cheese: You should try to find Wisconsin brick cheese, but if you can’t, a blend of mozzarella and Monterey Jack will be an acceptable substitute.
- The Dough: Use a high-hydration dough and let it rise twice for that airy, chewy texture.
- The Sauce: Spoon it on in thick racing stripes after baking to keep the crust crisp and keep the iconic look.
Conclusion: The Square that Changed the Circle
Detroit style pizza is more than a meal; it is a celebration of Motor City history, family tradition, and culinary ingenuity in a rectangular shape.
From humble beginnings in a converted speakeasy to its current placement as a favorite nationally, Detroit-style pizza teaches us that sometimes the most unconventional ideas yield the most delicious results.
Whether you are sinking your teeth into a crispy corner at Buddy’s or making your own at home, you’re tasting a bite of Detroit’s history that lives on. In a world of round pizzas, it’s the square that stands out.
Are you ready to take a bite?
Share your favorite Detroit-style pizza spots or recipes and be a part of a newly minted legion of square slice lovers.
